Amateur Boxing

Amateur Boxing at Club KO

Club KO amateur boxing program empowers our fighters to train to become amateur and eventually pro fighters.

5 Important Attributes For Amateur Boxing

1. Endurance (Amateur Boxing)

Whether you’re executing offensive or defensive moves, you need energy to do anything to do well in amateur boxing. If you don’t have the energy to throw punches and keep your opponent off you, you’re pretty much dead meat. I know you see boxers getting tired on TV or youtube, but that’s just them getting tired–they’re not completely gassed out. In reality, boxers are NEVER allowed to get tired. I once got tired during some focus mitt work and my trainer slapped me in the face and yelled, “DON’T GET TIRED!” As he explains, “The moment you get tired, you get knocked out.” It’s that simple.

There are 2 types of endurance an amateur boxing individual absolutely MUST have:

1. Leg Endurance (Amateur Boxing)

Leg endurance allows you to move around the ring, more importantly: in and out of range. I’ve watched many fighters get destroyed in the late rounds because they ran out of leg strength. This is when your legs feel like cement and you’re no longer able to move swiftly. All the punching power in the world means nothing if you can’t even get to your opponent. It sucks when your opponent easily moves in and out of distance while you’re dragging your legs around the ring. Build up your leg endurance with the jumprope. Don’t just do running. Jumping rope ensures your legs will always have that bounce. You don’t want to be a sitting duck on the ropes while your opponent hits you and disappears before you fire back. I’ve been there dozens of times…it sucks.

2. Shoulder Endurance (Amateur Boxing)

VERY crucial. Once your shoulders get tired, you’re screwed. You’re too tired to throw punches fast enough to hit your opponent. You’re too tired to pull your hands back to defense when you punch. You’re even too tired to hold up your gloves to cover your face. Your shoulders run your offense and defense, without them you’re pretty much a punching bag on legs (assuming you still got your legs). Work those shoulders in training, do the speedbag and arm endurance drills!

2. Defense (Amateur Boxing)

Your opponent will average 60-150 power punches per round. If you don’t know how to block punches, ESPECIALLY when you’re tired and every punch hurts more, you’re gonna get knocked out. Pay attention, cover your face, and protect yourself at all times!

3. Speed (Amateur Boxing)

If your punches aren’t fast enough to hit your opponent, you’re screwed. Not only will you not be able to score, you’re also unable to hurt him and keep him from attacking you with everything he has. Make sure your hand speed stays with you throughout the fight. You can have all the power in the world, but without the speed, it means nothing! You can be as tired as you want, but your hands better be fast enough to touch your opponent–or else your punches will have absolutely ZERO effect on your opponent.

4. Power (Amateur Boxing)

If you don’t have the proper technique and physicality to hurt your opponent, he will walk you down and outgun you till you hit the canvas. Power doesn’t come from wild swinging, that only wastes energy. True power comes from good technique. You want effective and efficient punching form! And then of course, you need to do explosive work in training. You don’t need to have knockout power, you just need to make sure that you have the power to hurt him.

5. Autonomy (Amateur Boxing)

Inside the ring is not the place for you to be thinking about what to do next. All your punch combinations and counters should be automatic by now.

It’s ok to think about general fight strategy such as “Pump the jab. Hooks to the body in close. Pivot off the ropes.”

What you should NOT be thinking is “Jab, right, left hook, right uppercut, left hook, right cross. Block the jab with the right hand. Keep the chin down.”

I mean seriously, if you still have to remind yourself to keep your hands up, then you’re not ready for amateur fighting. Your stance and defense should have been automatic by now. Actually, EVERYTHING should be automatic by now. Offensive moves, defensive moves, counter moves, everything. If you can’t fight automatically and respond instantaneously, you’re in deep trouble.

Imagine a basketball player. He’s not thinking about how to dribble between his legs or how to make a jumpshot. He’s paying attention to to other players in the game and deciding where he wants to be.